Expansion element



A Ju VA17, M1536."

H. A. BRYssELBoUT vEXPANSION ELEMENT4 Filed Jan. 18, 1928 3mm/tov @zzz/1;@ @fire/kaf ummm! Patented June 1.7, 1930 V'mmm a. BaYssaLnoUr, ornacraorr, mexican, assioma rocormun rnonuc'rs,

INC., A CORPDRATION OF MICHIGAN EXPANSION ELEMErrT Application illed January 18, 1928. Serial No. 247,580.

This invention relates to refrigerating mechanism and particularly to the cooling elements or expansion chambers employed 1n connection with, the same, the princlpal ob- .5 ject being the provision of a device of this type which will more rapidly absorb heat from `the chamber to be cooled than in conventional constructions.

.Another object is the provision of a cooling element in which heat conducting fins 'are formed to simulate a plurality of stack like structures through which a ,flow of air or other heat conducting medium to be cooled will be caused to occur similar tothe manner in which a draft occurs in the stacks of furnaces.

A further object is to provide an expansion chamber for a refrigerating mechanism comprising a box-like member of heat conducting material having an open top and bottom and adapted to be supported from a fioor or other support with the lower edges thereof out of contact with the floor, transversel vertically extending partitions ofheat con ucting material being provided between the sides of the' member, and refrigerant passage being secured in thermal contact with the sides of the member.

The above being among the objects of the present invention the same consists in certain 'features of construction and combinations of parts to be hereinafter described with reference to the accompanying drawing, and then claimed, having the above and other obj ectsv in v1ew.

In the accompanying drawing which illustrates a suitable embodiment of the present invention and in which like numerals refer to like parts through the several dierent views:

Fig. 1 is a transverse vertical sectional view through a butchers counter, indicating the relative position of 'a refrigerator cooling unit constructed in accordance with the present invention and in connection therewith.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged sectional view of the expansion or cooling unit shown in Fig. 1

taken on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

The present invention is a modification of the construction shown described in-my aplication for Letters Patent of the United I tates for im rovements in refrigerating mechanism file on even date herewith, and relates particularly toa modification of that` construction particularly adaptable for use in connection with the refrigeration of display cases or counters of the type generally employed in butcher shops and the like.

Such counters or display cases usually comprise the lower chamber 10 having a bottom 11, front 12 and top 13.- A display case including a transparent front face 14, a transparent top face 15 and a transparent movable 'rear face 16 issu ported on the top wall 13 and adapted to orm a compartment 17 in which food stuffs may be displayed to the view of the customer. The rear face 16 of the case is generally of a much less depth than the depth of the chamber 17 and a shelf or counter member 18 extends rearwardly therefrom and upon which the -butcher may wrap meat or employ for other purposes. A cover 19 hinged to the rear edge of the counter 18 by hinges 20 or other suitable means is provided to close the rear face of the chamber 17. In the application of a mechanical refrigerator to a display case of this type an expansion or cooling element is positioned inthe cham- 10. The refrigerating mechanism may be of either the absorption or adsorption type or may be of the mechanical compression type such as indicated in drawing and which may comprise a base 21 slidably received on the bottom 11 and on which is secured the compressor 22, an electric motor 23, fan 24, condenser 25 and receiver 26. The fan 24 is shown as connected directly to the shaft of the motor 23 and the compressor 22 is driven from the motor 23 by the belt 27 in a conventional manner. The outlet side of the compressor is connected by a tube 28 to the condenser 25 which in turn is connected by the tube 29 to the receiver 26. The receiver 26 is connected by the tube 30 to an automaticexpansion valve 31 or other suitable device which will automatically meter the tlow of lrefrigerant from the receiver 26 to the cooling element.

The cooling or expansion element which forms the subect matter of the present invention and W ich is supported on the wall 13 below the counter 18 comprises a box-like member of heat conducting material having side walls 32 and end walls 33, the top and bottom being open. Legs such as 34 which maybe formed integral with the box-like member or separately therefrom are provided for supporting the box-like member above the wall 13 so as to permit passage of air below the same. The height of the box-like member is less than the Vertical distance between the wall 13 and counter 18 so that the top of the member is spaced freely from the underside of the counter 18 when in position. Extending between the side walls 32 are a plurality of vertically extending spaced transverse members 35 which preferably extend from the top of t-he walls 32 to the bottom thereof and act to separate the same into' a plurality of stack-like structures or compartments. The members 35 which thus serve as partitions are formed of heat conducting material and are preferably provided With end'flanges 36 soldered to the walls 32 or otherwise secured to the same in thermal contact therewith. One or more tubes are wound around the outside of the walls 32 and 33 and are soldered to the same throughout their len th so as to be in thermal contact therewit Although shape or mannerA of securing this tubing to the walls 32 and 33 is more or less immaterial to the proper functioning of the device, it is shown in the drawing as comprising a single tube 37 which is wound around the outside of the box-like member so as to form a plurality of turns upon the same which turns are in thermal Contact with the walls 32 and 33 throughout their length, as by being soldered thereto. One end of the tube 37 is connected by a tube such as 38 to the ex ansion valve 31, and the other end of the tu e 37 is connected by the tube 39 to the intake side of the compressor. Although the section of the tube is more or less immaterial,

' it is preferable that the same is flattened as shown with the flattened side thereof secured to the walls 32 and 33 in order to provide a greater area of thermal contact therewith. The rear edge of the Wall -13 is preferably provided with a notch 41 through which the tubes 38 and 39 may extend so that upon' opening the door 19 boththe base 21 with all its mechanism and the expansion element 'coil maybe removed without brealdng the connection between them.

The result of this construction is`that a plurality of stack-like structures are formed which because they are formed from heat conducting material and are in thermal contact with the refrigerant carrying tube 37 conduct the heat of the air within the chamber 17 tothe refrigerant within the tube 37.

This causes the air in contactv with the walls 32 and 33 and partitions 37 to be cooled and in cooling to move downwardly because of its relatively increased weight, thus drawing in Warm air at the top of the device and discharging the cold air at the bottom of the same. This action, because of the stack-like element permits a greater rate of heat transfer for a given size and weight of unit and thereby permits a smaller and less expensive unit to be used.

It is preferable in employing this construction that a bale 40 be positioned between the forward edge of the counter 18 and the wall 13 and spaced from the same at both the top and bottom whereby the air in the chamber 17 will be caused to flow into the space below the counter 18 at the top thereof and the air from the cooling element will be discharged from the bottom, thus setting up a circulation of air in the chamber 17 which will increase the rate at which it may be cooled.

Although I have shown a simple form of' box-like member and a simple manner of securing the refrigerant carrying passage to the same, it will be apparent that these features may be readily changed by one skilled in the art to suit his particular problem or desires without materially altering the invention herein covered, and formal changes may be made in the specific embodiment of the invention described without departing from the spirit or substance of the broad invention, the sco e of which is commensurate with the appen ed claims.

What I claim is:

1. In a device of the class described, an elongated box-like member of heat conducting material having an open top and bottom, vertically extending members of heat conducting material extending between the sides of said member and in thermal contact therewith, and a refrigerant passage in thermal contact with said member. 4,

2. In a device of the class described, a boxlike member of heat conducting material having an open top and bottom, vertically extending partitions of heat conducting material extending between the sides of said member in thermal contact therewith and dividing the interior thereof into a plurality of separate stack-like structures, and a refrigerant passalg in thermal contact with said member.

3. a device of the class described, an

`elongated box-like member of heat conducting material having an open top and bottom, vertically extending partitions extending between the sldes of said member and secured crease of speed of the air through the cooling in thermal contact therewith, and a refrigerant passage secured to a side wall of said member and in thermal contact therewith for substantially the entire length of said wall.

4. In a device of the type described, an elongated box-like structure of heat conducting material having?I an open top and bottom,

a plurality of plates of heat conducting material extending between the sides of said member and in thermal contact therewith, said plates extending vertically between the top and bottom of said member, and a refrigerant passage comprisin a plurality of loops surrounding said mem randl secured 1n thermal contact therewith for substantially its entire length.

HENRI A. BRYSSELBOUT. 

